"Goodbye, I'll miss you"

Emily looked up to see a handsome blond, blue-eyed young man beaming at her. 

She nearly blurted, "No," but the handsome lad made her swallow it back.

"Sure, are you alone?" Emily put down her chopsticks, smiling widely at him in a saccharine voice.

"Yes, I'm an exchange student. It's just me here for Thanksgiving, feeling a bit lonely and cold."

"Hahaha." 

His accent sent Emily burying her head in her arms, shoulders shaking with laughter.

"My English isn't very good; I hope I'm not too amusing," he said sheepishly.

"Ha ha ha!"

"My English is not so good; make beauty laugh at me."

"Hahahaha."

The bumpkinish "beauty" destroyed Emily's composure entirely, making her guffaw loudly. 

It drew the attention of the three at the next table, glancing over.

Rita Hewlett smiled, "Youth is wonderful, isn't it? Look at that young lady, pretty as a flower."

Ford Zechariah replied, "You were just as beautiful in your Youth. Besides, we all age, don't we?"

"Always the charmer, aren't you?"

"Uncle and aunt seem so affectionate." Murray's voice was light and nonchalant.

With a handsome guy in sight, Emily's mood instantly brightened, and she couldn't care less about the neighboring table.

"This menu seems interesting," said the blond charmer named Woody, studying the "envelope" in his hand with a serious expression.

Emily, barely holding back her laughter, began to explore the menu with him. With her consent, Woody sat beside her, earnestly following along as they perused the menu.

"Ding." Emily's phone chimed with a new message - from Murray: [Go wait for me in the parking lot, now.]

Soon, her phone chimed again, this time a video call from Elton Cromwell.

Seeing Elton Cromwell's name flashing on the screen, Emily answered the call with a joyful heart.

"Happy Thanksgiving, how are you?" A handsome, refined-looking young man smiled gently from the other side.

"Elton~" Emily held the phone further away to tidy her hair a bit.

"Who's that with you?" Elton Cromwell's tone grew somewhat tense.

"He's an exchange student at our school. It's the festive season, and we both found ourselves alone, so we decided to spend the holiday together," Emily explained casually.

Elton Cromwell visibly relaxed at her words, smiling. "Just yesterday, Mom worried about you being alone in Sandviken. I feel better knowing you have a friend."

Emily smiled. "Of course, your graduation ceremony is more important. Thanksgiving comes every year."

"You're always so understanding." Elton Cromwell's lips quirked in a faint smile, eyes full of tenderness.

"When are you and your uncle and auntie coming back? And Odelia, is she returning with you this time?"

"Odelia will be coming back with us this time."

Mentioning Odelia, Elton Cromwell seemed to dodge the topic, and Emily, sensing his discomfort, smoothly changed the subject. "So, when will you be back?"

"We're on the Friday flight."

Emily thought - so soon? Aloud, she said joyfully, "Great, I'll come pick you up at the airport then."

"Alright, see you then. Take good care of yourself."

"Mm-hmm."

After hanging up, inexplicable unease welled up in Emily's heart. She propped her head in one hand while the other aimlessly circled the table, her gaze drifting with melancholy. 

When she was eight, her father Barlow Rockefeller's business failed, and he died in an accident. The Cromwells had taken her in.

In her darkest hour, Elton Cromwell stayed by her side, dispelling her inner fears with gentleness and patience.

Yet the one she meant to exploit was none other than Elton Cromwell. 

Now, Elton Cromwell was returning, and her plans would commence.

Emily squeezed her eyes shut, lashes quivering with the force, taking a deep breath and telling herself - 

Uncovering the truth behind her father's death and avenging him was her life's mission. Anyone could become a sacrifice, including herself. She would just do what she must; the rest she would leave to fate.

After sitting a while and seeing no movement from Emily, Murray got up to pay for the Zechariah couple's table, making an excuse to leave first. 

Passing by Emily, he paused briefly. 

Emily's heart leaped, thinking he would do something.

A moment later, he walked straight out the door.

Watching his figure disappear through the entrance, Emily withdrew her gaze and resumed eating conscientiously. 

She had to admit, Murray had excellent taste - every dish suited her perfectly. She had polished off nearly the entire plate of rouge goose breast herself.

After the meal, Woody insisted on paying and offered to take her home. 

Emily agreed but didn't want a cab. She took the initiative to suggest the bus.

Woody naturally had no objections to more time with the girl.

The bus wasn't crowded, and they chose seats in the last row. Settling down, Emily rested her arm on the window sill, supporting her chin with her hand as she gazed at the passing scenery.

The bus wove through the cityscape, skyscrapers stretching endlessly into the distance, transforming the view she once knew. The Gotrust building, a landmark in her memory, now sported a new sign, glowing brightly against the night.

Gazing at the glittering structures, a flash of determination and anger appeared, then disappeared quickly from her eyes.

...

The bus driver must have been a person of steady temperament. Even with clear roads, he drove leisurely, taking about an hour and a half to reach their destination, a dilapidated park.

Woody followed Emily off the bus, looking around bewildered. 

Not a light nor person could be seen for miles around.

"You're not some female ghost, are you?" Woody eyed Emily's pretty face and instinctively shrank back a little.

"Ha ha ha!" Emily nearly doubled over with laughter at his comment. Winking at him, she reassured, "Don't worry, even if I were a female ghost, I'd only go after those heartless, unscrupulous men."

"I see, then I can relax. Because I'm a good guy." Woody breathed a sigh of relief. 

Emily smiled at him while checking the time, "Thanks for dinner today. You should head back now. I'll treat you next time."

Woody looked around uneasily. "Where do you live? It's late, is it safe?"

Emily glanced at a black SUV parked not far away, "My friend is coming to pick me up, don't worry. You better go; your dormitory will be locking up soon."

Being a fellow student at the same University, Emily was familiar with the dormitory rules.

"Alright, let's exchange numbers." Woody waved his phone, looking back three times for every step he took towards the last bus back to the city.

At eighteen or nineteen, a young man is in his prime. Woody resembled a certain Hollywood actor, his clear and bright youthful features hiding an enigmatic and alluring aura.

Emily couldn't help rising on tiptoes for another glimpse. 

"Goodbye, I'll miss you." Woody's voice gradually faded along with the bus fumes, disappearing from view.